There is always a treasure trove of wisdom available to us simply by looking back at how we as humans lived in our tribal days, whether we look at our social structure, our politics (which was truly democratic because everyone got to vote on issues), our diet, or our lifestyle. Because we spent tens of thousands of years living in any given manner our bodies necessarily adapted to the environment. As well, humans would have adopted certain behaviours to adjust to unchangeable aspects of the environment as we intuitively interacted with the world. Grounding capitalizes on one such unchangeable property of the earth, which is (among other things) an endless supply of electron. Why is this important? Well, have you ever heard of free radicals? These are a natural by-product of the body’s metabolic processes that are highly destructive. A free radical is an atom (usually oxygen) or molecule that is missing an electron, so it is positively charged and therefore unstable. However, because of their reactivity, these free radicals can participate in unwanted side reactions resulting in cell damage. As it turns out, if you ground yourself the free electrons quickly travel throughout your body and cancel out any charges by binding to positive ion radicals. The result is the almost instant neutralization of free radicals.

Looking at this from another angle for a moment, you have most certainly heard of the importance of antioxidants in your diet. Antioxidants, just like free electrons, are also able to neutralize free radicals. They both have the ability to neutralize these destructive molecules quickly and efficiently. So earthing has a similar role on free radicals as antioxidants. A diet rich in whole plant-based foods will be rich in antioxidants. Why do both (earthing and healthy eating)? Well this is the same reason why you have seat belts in your car. Redundancy is built into most biological systems, and you are most likely to achieve the highest level of safety and health if you capitalize on both systems.

We all intuitively know that being grounded is a good think. “Staying grounded” is a part of our lexicon with positive connotations. Earthing isn’t just some new-age belief full of questionable science, it is a well-researched concept which is only recently gaining the recognition that it deserves. The idea was developed intuitively by Clint Ober, someone who made billions of dollars in the communication industry, so electricity and electrical experimentation were almost second nature to him. After a medical crisis where he had to have 80% of his liver removed and he almost died, he sold his business to pursue personal goals. He took the earthing idea to his doctor to pursue the scientific/medical basis for this therapy. Clinical trials by Stephen Sinatra M.D. have shown the incredible benefits of this modality. Advantages of grounding include:

Improved Sleep (This is massive since all body repair is done during this time, and as it turns out most of us have the highest exposure to EMFs at this time)

Body-wide pain reduction.

Neutralization of free radicals in the body (This is also a very significant finding since free radicals are constantly doing damage in our bodies. Electrons can flow anywhere so are clearly the most effective anti-oxidant out there.)

Improves any inflammatory condition. This is highly significant because virtually every pathology begins and proceeds with inflammation. All chronic conditions involve chronic inflammation.

Treatment of acute trauma. (Immediately reduces the negative effects of free radicals released by neutrophils at the site of an injury.)

Reduced recovery times of (DOMS) delayed onset muscle soreness which happens after a heavy workout (which is actually an acute inflammation).

Reduced hypertension (elevated Blood Pressure). This is achieved by reducing the charges in blood cells, which reduces blood viscosity.

Reduction and balancing of Cortisol Levels (the body’s stress hormone)

Does this sound too good to be true? Are you wondering how you can try this therapy yourself? One way is to walk around barefoot outside as our ancestors did, but in our climatic region this is impossible for nine month of the year and impractical for most of the time during those other three months. One simple way is to drive a steak into the ground, then run a wire to yourself and then connect the wire to a conducting adhesive pad on your skin. It’s cheap, it actually works, but you’re not going to do this either. Another way is to buy a product that is designed to ground you. At Earthing Canada, they have everything that you would need to begin grounding yourself. Their starter kit includes a bed pad (½ sheet), and an earthing mat that you place your feet on to when you are stationary (for example when at the computer). It also includes cords that allow you to connect the products to a grounded receptacle in your home, testing equipment and a book on Earthing. Incidentally, I have absolutely nothing to gain here. I have no financial interest in this product. I am simply bringing the information to you so that that you can make your own decision.

Grounded Desktop Mat

Here is a link to research on this topic, go to . You will see that double-blind studies have been done showing the efficacy if this therapy. If your house was built from about 1960 onward, the products from their online store should be very easy to use right out of the box. If your home is older, you may not have grounded plugs, however the starter kit will inform you how to deal with this challenge.

Stay Grounded Man!

Disclaimer *Note- I have no financial interest in any earthing products. Content is provided for informational purposes only. This site does not offer medical advice. Always consult with your primary health care provider before instituting changes to your health care regime.

Brian FultonBrian Fulton is a Registered Massage Therapist that has been practicing in St. Catharines, Ontario since 1999. He is also an author and an educator. He conducts workplace health and wellness seminars, and was the health columnist for Dalhousie Peer magazine for over ten years. His book, The Placebo Effect in Manual Therapy- Improving Clinical Outcomes, printed by Handspring Publications, is available through Amazon.